The National (Metsovian) Technical University of Athens (NTUA; , ''National Metsovian Polytechnic''), sometimes known as Athens Polytechnic, a university in Athens, Greece. It is named in honor of its benefactors Nikolaos Stournaris,

Eleni Tositsa Eleni Tositsa (1796 – 1 April 1866; ) was a major benefactor to cultural and educational establishments in Greece, including the National Archaeological Museum and the National Technical University of Athens. Eleni Tositsa was born in Metsovo, ...

, Michail Tositsas and Georgios Averoff, whose origin is from the town of

Metsovo Metsovo (; ) is a town in Epirus (region), Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east. The largest centre of Aromanians, Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large regio ...

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

. It was founded in 1837 as a part-time vocational school named Royal School of Arts which, as its role in the technical development of the fledgling state grew, developed into Greece's sole institution providing engineering degrees up until the 1950s, when polytechnics were established outside

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. Its traditional

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

, located in the center of Athens on Patission Avenue on a site donated by Eleni Tositsa, features a suite of magnificent neoclassical buildings by architect Lysandros Kaftantzoglou (1811–1885). A new campus, the

Zografou Zografou () is a suburban town of approximately 70,000 inhabitants in the eastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. It was named after the Greek politician Ioannis Zografos. To the east of Zografou lies mount Hymettus. The area, being ...

Campus, was built in the 1980s. NTUA is divided into nine academic schools, eight being for the

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

disciplines, including

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

, and one for

applied science Applied science is the application of the scientific method and scientific knowledge to attain practical goals. It includes a broad range of disciplines, such as engineering and medicine. Applied science is often contrasted with basic science, ...

s (mathematics and physics). Undergraduate studies have a duration of five years. The university comprises about 700 of academic staff, 140 scientific assistants and 260 administrative and technical staff. It also has about 8,500 undergraduates and about 1,500 postgraduate students. Eight of the NTUA's Schools are housed at the Zografou Campus, while the School of Architecture is based at the Patission Complex.

History

NTUA was established by royal decree on December 31, 1836 (OS), January 21, 1837 (NS), under the name "Royal School of Arts" (). It began functioning as a part-time vocational school (only Sundays and holidays) to train craftsmen, builders and master craftsmen to cover the needs of the new Greek state. In 1840, due to its increasing popularity and the changing socio-economic conditions in the new state, NTUA was upgraded to a full time technical school which worked alongside the Sunday school. Courses were expanded and the institution was housed in its own building on Pireos Street.

The restructuring

In 1843 a major restructuring was made. Three departments were created: * ''Part-Time Vocational School'' * ''Daily School'' * A new ''Higher School of Fine Arts'' The new department's object was fine arts and engineering. The new department, which was later renamed ''School of Industrial and Fine Arts'', rapidly evolved towards a major higher education institution. Tradition has it that ''arts'' referred to both technical professions and fine arts. Even today, the school maintains a school of architecture that is closely related to the School of Fine Arts, which later evolved to become a separate school. The name ''Polytechnnic'' came in 1862, with the introduction of several new technical courses. This restructuring continued steadily until 1873. At the time, the school became overwhelmed by the plethora of students wishing to learn higher technical skills. This led to its move to a new campus.

The relocation

In 1873 it moved to its new campus in Patission Street and was known as ''Metsovion Polytechnion'' (Metsovian Polytechnic) after the birthplace of the benefactors who financed construction of this campus. Though the Patission Street campus was incomplete at the time, rising student demand made it urgent to relocate. In 1887, the institution was partitioned into three technical schools: Structural Engineering, Architecture and Mechanical Engineering — all four-year degrees at the time. It was at this point that the institute was recognized as a technical education facility by the state — a crucial step in its development — as it became adapted to the nation’s developmental needs. In 1914, new schools were created and was officially named ''Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion'' (National Metsovian Polytechnic) went under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Works. This is when new technical schools started to be formed, a process that was completed three years later, in 1917, when the NTUA changed form. By special law, the old ''School of Industrial Arts'' was now separated into the Higher Schools of ''Civil Engineering'', ''Mechanical & Electrical Engineering'', ''Chemical Engineering'', ''Surveying Engineering'' and ''Architecture''. Later, the schools of ''Naval Engineering'', and ''Mining and Metallurgical Engineering'' were formed, and the school of ''Mechanical & Electrical Engineering'' was split up into two separate schools, ''Mechanical Engineering'' and ''Electrical and Computer Engineering'', which is almost the form of schools maintained until now. In 1923, the NTUA alumni formed the core of the Technical Chamber of Greece, the professional organization that serves as the official technical adviser of the Greek state and is responsible for awarding professional licenses to all practicing engineers in Greece. In 1930, the Athens School of Fine Arts was established, acquiring its independence from the NTUA, as a school exclusively focused in the teaching the fine arts. This allowed the two schools to develop separately as a technical and an arts school respectively. In 1941 to 1944, the National Technical University of Athens played an important role in the country's political life with the Greek students participating in the National Resistance under the German occupation. During the

Axis occupation of Greece The occupation of Greece by the Axis Powers () began in April 1941 after Nazi Germany Battle of Greece, invaded the Kingdom of Greece in order to assist its ally, Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Italy, in their Greco-Italian War, ongoing war that w ...

, NTUA, in addition to its function as an academic institution, became one of the most active resistance centers in Athens.

The uprising

The Polytechnion Uprising of November, 1973, marked a turning point in Greece's struggle against the

military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...

that had seized power in 1967. This historic event, which began with student protests at NTUA, culminated in a brutal crackdown by the regime. The uprising was ignited by a series of student demonstrations and occupations, each met with increasing violence from the authorities. The final confrontation began on November 14, when students barricaded themselves inside NTUA's Patission Complex and began broadcasting a

pirate radio station Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...

, calling for popular rebellion. On November 17, the military regime used army tanks to break through the gates and unleash a wave of violence against the students and their supporters. The toll of the Polytechnion uprising was tragic. Several demonstrators were killed; many more were arrested by the

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

and were tortured for months in military prisons. The uprising galvanized the Greek people and the junta was irreparably damaged by the popular outcry (it fell in 1974, after the Turkish invasion in Cyprus). The Polytechnion Uprising is commemorated annually on November 17 by students, political parties, and the Greek government as a symbol of the struggle for freedom, democracy, and social justice. A monument created by

Memos Makris Memos Makris (, ) (born April 1, 1913, in Patras – died May 26, 1993, in Athens) was a prominent Greek people, Greek sculptor. He spent his early childhood in Patras but his family moved to Athens in 1919. He studied at the Athens School of Fin ...

and erected at the NTUA campus honors the victims of the uprising and serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought against tyranny.

Emblem

Heinrich fueger 1817 prometheus brings fire to mankind

The emblem of the NTUA features

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...

bringing the fire from the gods to the mankind. In

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Prometheus defied the

Olympian gods upright=1.8, Fragment of a relief (1st century BC1st century AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and s ...

by giving fire to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge and, more generally, civilization. This emblem underscores NTUA's commitment to addressing real human needs and dimensions. The emblem is round and black. It features Prometheus in the center holding a lit torch with his right hand. To the right is an altar with a flame on top and the name "Prometheus the Fire-bringer (''Pyrphoros'') inscribed on the sides. On the left side of the emblem, the name ''ΕΘΝ • ΜΕΤΣΟΒ • ΠΟΛΥΤΕΧΝΕΙΟΝ'' is written in capital letters, along with the year NTUA was established in

Greek numerals Greek numerals, also known as Ionic, Ionian, Milesian, or Alexandrian numerals, is a numeral system, system of writing numbers using the letters of the Greek alphabet. In modern Greece, they are still used for ordinal number (linguistics), ordi ...

(i.e., ). The emblem was designed in 1954 by the greek artist

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (; February 26, 1906 – September 3, 1994), also known as Nikos Ghika, was a leading Greek painter, sculptor, engraver, writer and academic. He was a founding member of the Association of Greek Art Critics, AICA-Hellas, ...

, who also served as Professor of Drawing until 1958. His original sketches for the emblem are part of the Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas collection of the

Benaki Museum The Benaki Museum, established and endowed in 1930 by Antonis Benakis in memory of his father Emmanuel Benakis, is housed in the Benakis family mansion in Athens, Greece. The museum houses Greek works of art from the prehistorical to the modern ...

Academic profile

Schools

The National Technical University of Athens is divided into nine academic schools (), which are furthermore divided into 33 departments (Greek: τομείς): *School of Applied Mathematical and

Physical Sciences Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together is called the "physical sciences". Definition ...

(founded 1999) *School of

Electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

and

Computer Engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...

(founded 1975) *School of

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

(founded 1887) *School of

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

(founded 1982) *School of

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

(founded 1917) *School of

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

(founded 1917) *School of

Rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

Surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the land, terrestrial Plane (mathematics), two-dimensional or Three-dimensional space#In Euclidean geometry, three-dimensional positions of Point (geom ...

and

Geoinformatics Geoinformatics is a scientific field primarily within the domains of Computer Science and technical geography. It focuses on the programming of applications, spatial data structures, and the analysis of objects and space-time phenomena relate ...

Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

(founded 1917) *School of

Mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and

Metallurgical Engineering Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

(founded 1946) *School of

Naval Architecture Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and op ...

and

Marine Engineering Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circ ...

(founded 1969)
School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences
*

*
Department of Physics

*
Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
*
Department of Signals, Controls and Robotics
*
Department of Computer Science
*
Department of Εlectric Power
*
Department of Electromagnetics, Electrooptics and Electronic Materials
*
Department of Industrial Electric Devices and Decision Systems
*
Department of Communications, Electronics and Information Systems
*
Department of Information Transmission Systems and Material Technology

School of Civil Engineering
*
Department of Structural Engineering
*
Department of Water Resources, Hydraulic and Maritime Engineering
*
Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering
*
Department of Geotechnical Engineering
*
Department of Engineering Construction and Management
NTUA mechanical engineers school

School of Mechanical Engineering
*
Department of Fluid Mechanics Engineering
** Department of Thermal Engineering *
Department of Nuclear Engineering
*
Department of Mechanical Constructions and Automatic Control
*
Department of Manufacturing Technology
*
Department of Industrial Management and Operational Research

School of Architecture
** Department of Architectural Design ** Department of Urban and Regional Planning ** Department of Interior Design and Landscaping ** Department of Building Technology-Structural Design and Mechanical Equipment
School of Chemical Engineering
** Department of Chemical Sciences *
Department of Process and Systems Analysis, Design and Development
** Department of Materials Science and Engineering ** Department of Synthesis and Development of Industrial Processes
School of Rural, Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering
*

*

*

School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
** Department of Geological Sciences ** Department of Mining Engineering ** Department of Metallurgy and Materials Technology
School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
** Department of Ship Design & Maritime Transport ** Department of Ship Hydrodynamics ** Department of Marine Engineering ** Department of Marine Structures

Studies

Undergraduate studies

The academic calendar of NTUA comprises 10 independent, integral academic semesters. Each semester lasts 18 weeks: 13 weeks of classes, a two-week break (Christmas and Easter holidays for the fall and spring semester respectively), and three weeks of semester exams. The tenth semester is devoted to the preparation of the diploma thesis. The diploma thesis has to be related to one of the courses of the faculty. The student has at his or her disposal at least a full academic semester to prepare the thesis. Upon completion of the thesis, the student must take part in an oral examination that can take place either in June, October or February, after the final examinations, provided that the student has passed all courses prescribed by the curriculum. An important part of the studies in NTUA are the summer "training" projects which take place in Industrial and Production Units, in the period between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester. They constitute an elective course for the Faculties of Civil Engineering, Survey Engineering (Surveying and Geodesy Camp) and Mining and Metallurgy Engineering (Mining Camp) and are partially subsidized by the European Union.

Postgraduate studies

There are currently 20 departmental or inter-departmental postgraduate courses, coordinated by NTUA Departments, leading to the respective Post Graduate Specialization Diploma, with a minimum duration of 17 months, including one in Business Administration (in collaboration with the Athens University of Economics and Business). Moreover, NTUA participates in nine post-graduate programs coordinated by other Greek Universities. After the acquisition of the Post Graduate Specialization Diploma, the student can proceed towards submitting a doctoral thesis.

Academic staff

Research and innovation

NTUA boasts high research activity, as research and education are both its goals. Research is managed by administrative and education personnel, but can be conducted by graduate and sometimes undergraduate students as well. Research is administered by five separate offices: # The Special Accounting for Research Office (ΕΛΚΕ) # The Liaison Office # The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit # The Internship Programme # The Office of Researchers # The Interdisciplinary Research Center # The Interdisciplinary Unit for Reusable Energy Research is funded by the NTUA endowment, or often directly through public or private funds.

Ranking

The National Technical university of Athens is one of Greece's top universities. In 2025, the

QS World University Rankings The ''QS World University Rankings'' is a portfolio of comparative college and university rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher education analytics firm. Its first and earliest edition was published in collaboration with '' Times ...

(WUR) ranked NTUA #321, with the corresponding faculty area rank being #142 for Engineering & Technology. In Europe, NTUA secured the #180 spot. According to the QS WUR Ranking By Subject (2024) for Civil and Structural Engineering, NTUA falls within the 51-100 range. Its highest position in this category was #25 in 2013. NTUA has the highest citation impact score (0.88) among the Greek universities, based on a ranking prepared by the Directorate General for Science and Research of the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

in 2003 (updated 2004) that was compiled as part of the Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators. During 2022, 130 researchers from NTUA were included among the top-cited scientists (top 2%).

Academic evaluation

Between October 2015 and July 2016, th
Hellenic Authority for Higher Education
(HEHA) carried out the external evaluation of all Greek institutions of higher education. The final external evaluation report for NTUA was submitted by the experts in November 2016. Th
report
stresses that NTUA is well-organized and boasts an outstanding reputation due to its students and faculty, who have significantly contributed to Greek science and technology. The leadership has clear academic, administrative, and research goals, and strategic initiatives to address both strengths and weaknesses. Challenges include adapting to changes in higher education, legal obstacles, and staff alignment. The university has a broad and diverse range of subjects, strong industry links, and a commitment to quality assurance, but faces issues like state intervention, funding inadequacies, and the need for better external stakeholder engagement and internal services.

Campus

Patission Complex

The Averof building is one of the most important and elegant buildings of the Athenian Neoclassical period located in the center of

and the most important work of architect Lysandros Kaftanzoglou. It constitutes also one of the most important creations of European

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

, directly influenced in its design by the monuments of the Athenian

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...

. Its construction began in 1862 and ended in 1878. After its completion, the building was in continuous use for more than 125 years during which it suffered from several additions and alterations. The main building has housed at times the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

and various exhibitions of Schliemann's archaeological findings and relics of the 1821

Greek revolution The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...

. The Averof building reached a deteriorating state and was eventually in great need of restoration and modernization in order to continue operating as an educational establishment. The aim of the conservation project, namely for the Averof to be used again as an educational building, was successfully achieved after the building became operative in the beginning of 2010 and won the grand prize of

Europa Nostra Europa Nostra (Latin for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for cultural heritage, Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement ...

in 2012.

Zografou Campus

The main campus is located in the

area of the

Athens metropolitan area The Athens metropolitan area () spans within the Attica region and consists of 58 municipalities plus parts of East Attica and West Attica, having reached a population of 3,638,281 according to the 2021 census. The municipalities of Athens an ...

, housing all the schools of NTUA except architecture, which remains in its traditional location on the Patission Avenue for historical reasons. The main campus spreads over an area of about 190 acres, 6 km from the center of Athens. It includes buildings of 65 acres with fully equipped lecture theaters, laboratories, libraries, gyms, a central library, a computer center and a medical center. The School of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences is housed in the center of the campus. Right next to it is the Mining and Metallurgical Engineering School. The Civil Engineering School and the Rural and Surveying Engineering School are both housed on the south-west near the Zografou Gate. Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Naval Engineering, and the new Electrical Engineering School are all housed near the middle of the campus, while the old electrical engineering buildings remain on the north-east.

Transportation

There are in-campus roads making all buildings accessible by bicycle and car. There are also various internal buses that allow for transportation within the facilities, driving around the perimeter of the campus and through eight different bus stops. The campus is accessible through three main gates: the Katechaki and Kokkinopoulou Gates on the north, and the Zografou Gate on the west. There are 2,000 dedicated parking spots scattered throughout the campus, most nearby all major buildings. The campus resides near the metro station of Katechaki, which makes it accessible within minutes from any area of Athens. Furthermore, six different buses are available for transportation from various city locations to the campus: the 608 from

Galatsi Galatsi (, ''Galátsi'' ), called in Katharevousa Galatsion (, ''Galátsion''), is a town, a northern suburb of Athens agglomeration, Greece, and a municipality of the Attica (region), Attica region. The municipality has an area of 4.026 km ...

, 230 from

, 242 from the Katechaki Metro station and 140 from Glifada.

Central Library

On the campus lies the NTUA Central Library, which has operated since 1914, and was the first library in Greece with a complete index. Today, it remains one of the largest technical libraries in the country, featuring a collection of over 215,000 books and 100,000 scientific issues. The library is available to the public at all times for studying, and available to students, faculty, and internal and external researchers for borrowing. The central library building at Zografou campus houses also the historical library of NTUA as a special collection. This scientific-technical library is unique in Greece, and one of the most important in Europe, since it contains approximately 60,000 volumes and periodicals (1,096 titles) issued from the 17th century until 1950. The main bulk of NTUA's historical collection consists of old and rare books, pamphlets, maps, engravings and encyclopedias.

Other facilities

Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park (LTCP)

Lavrion Technological and Cultural Park (LTCP), is a body of scientific research, education, business and culture. Founded in place of the old French Mining Company of Lavrion (Compagnie Francaise des Mines du Laurium) in 1992, as a result of the initiative undertaken from the National Technical University of Athens. LTCP aims at linking scientific and technological research conducted in Athens with the needs and interests of the business world, and to the realization of cultural events related to the promotion of the history and culture of the wider area of Lavreotiki, and the emergence of the history of activities in the past had developed in the maintenance of premises. The LTCP area is a unique monument of industrial architecture and archeology and placed him in a series of housing facilities for business and research excellence. The services provided by LTCP as well as its renovated facilities, continue to support research, education and technology. Today, LTCP is essentially the only technology park in Attica, which specializes in areas – keys of modern applied technology, such as information technology, electronics technology, telecommunications, robotics, technology laser, environmental technology, energy, shipbuilding, marine technology, etc.

Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS)

Founded in 1989, Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) is an independent, non-profit research organization dedicated to advancing the values, mission, and strategic goals of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Scientific research at ICCS is structured around various interdisciplinary thematic areas, including AI and Smart Systems, Hardware and Software, Computer Networks, Mobile Communications, Control and Automation, Power Production, Transport and Distribution, Energy, Climate, Biomedical and Biomechanics, Information Systems, Management and Decision Support, and Photonics.

Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Center (MIRC)

The Metsovion Interdisciplinary Research Center (MIRC) of the National Technical University of Athens for the Protection and Development of Mountainous Environment and Local European Cultures was founded in 1993 by decision of the National Technical University of Athens Senate, following the proposal of the then Rector professor Nikos Markatos. The principal aim of MIRC is to contribute to the protection and development of mountainous environment and local European cultures and the provision of

continuing education Continuing education is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the d ...

. As well as, the conduct of

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

, studies,

seminars A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some part ...

and

conferences A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

, relevant to the broader object of MIRC, the creation of a European network with related organizations under the aegis of the center or the participation in already existing networks. The above will be utilized by universities, cultural, research and productive organizations with the aim of assisting Metsovon in becoming a European center of decentralized interdisciplinary, educational, research, technological and cultural activities of NTUA.

Culture

Music Department

The NTUA Music Department was established in 1960 by Chancellor Alexander Pappas. The first president of the music department was composer Vassilis Makridis. It features a mixed choir, a

string orchestra A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first a ...

, and free lessons for various instruments, among others

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...

, and

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

. The music department groups regularly perform publicly within the facilities of the university, but also elsewhere. At the moment, the department's president is conductor and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Michalis Economou.

Dancing Department

The Dancing Department was established in 1990. It is formed by students, and it features various groups, including a Greek traditional and Cretan folk dances group, a European and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Ballroom dances group, a Salsa and a

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

group. The groups meets weekly, and perform regularly inside and outside the facilities of the university. Attendance and dancing lessons are free for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty and even people not related to the university. The dancing department is housed near the center of the main campus.

Theatrical Group

The Theatrical Group was established in 1991. It is a self-managed group, which teaches the art of performance and often performs in public. Participation in the group is free for students. The theatrical group is housed near the center of the main campus. The theatrical group has also organized a separate percussion lessons group.

Sports

The main sports facilities of NTUA are housed in the Sports Center located to the south of the campus, taking up about 3,500 square meters. The campus sport facilities feature

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

courts, a field and track, a

sauna A sauna (, ) is a room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a sauna is used to meas ...

ping pong Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of two, players ...

tables, and more. More than 40 sport teams exist, and the sports practiced include

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, Muscle, muscular strength, and ...

yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". Pilates uses a combination of around 50 repetitive e ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

inside the campus facilities and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

polo Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

yachting Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on ma ...

rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling, the person descending controls their own movement down a static or fixed rope, in cont ...

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

, squash, wind surfing, and

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

outside. Each year several inter-departmental championships are organized among the teams of the university faculties. NTUA student's teams have been distinguished and received many awards in Panhellenic University Games, as well as in university games abroad.

Open source

There is an open source students group whose purpose is to promote the use of

open source software Open-source software (OSS) is Software, computer software that is released under a Open-source license, license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and Software distribution, distribute the software an ...

throughout the university and beyond. Furthermore, NTUA officially supports open source software by using it in its laboratories and other facilities, but also hosting mirrors for all major open source projects with a collection of over 2.5

terabyte The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable un ...

s of free and open source software.

Foreign languages

English, French, German and Italian are the four languages taught in NTUA. All non-exchange students have to choose one from those as a mandatory foreign language course. For foreign students, the NTUA Linguistic Service offers the option of attending Greek courses during the entire

academic year An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and university, universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classe ...

, free of charge. These courses are intended to provide students with the basic linguistic tools, so that they can understand and communicate efficiently with people in Greece.

Participation in international organizations

CESAER – Conference of European Schools for advanced Engineering, Education and Research
* EEGECS �
Network on European Education in Geodetic Engineering, Cartography and Surveying

SEFI – Societe Europeene pour la Formation des Ingenieurs (European Society for Engineering Education)

TIME – Top Industrial Managers Europe

Student unions

NTUA Students' Formula Team
* Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, NTUA
Athens Local BEST Group

Electrical Engineering STudent's European Association Local Committee of Athens (EESTEC)

Euroavia Athens, NTUA

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE)
*American Institute of Chemical Engineers Student Chapter (AIChE)

Notable alumni

* Nicholas Ambraseys – professor of engineering seismology at

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

* Dimitris Anastassiou – developer of

MPEG-2 MPEG-2 (a.k.a. H.222/H.262 as was defined by the ITU) is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods ...

algorithm for transmitting high quality audio and video over limited bandwidth and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

professor of electrical engineering * Dora E. Angelaki – professor of Neuroscience in the

New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...

John Argyris Johann Hadji Argyris FRS (Greek: Ιωάννης Χατζι Αργύρης; 19 August 1913 – 2 April 2004) was a Greek pioneer of computer applications in science and engineering,Hughes TJR, Oden JT, and Papadrakakis M (2011) ''John H Argyris' ...

– one of the founders of the

finite element method Finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat tran ...

, professor at

and

University of Stuttgart The University of Stuttgart () is a research university located in Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded in 1829 and is organized into 10 faculties. It is one of the oldest technical universities in Germany with programs in civil, mechanical, ind ...

Costas Azariadis Constantine Christos "Costas" Azariadis (; born February 17, 1943) is a macroeconomist born in Athens, Greece. He has worked on numerous topics, such as labor markets, business cycles, and economic growth and economic development, development. Az ...

– professor at the Department of Economics, UCLA and Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis * Dimitri Bertsekas – professor of engineering at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

* Dimitris Bertsimas – professor in the

Sloan School of Management The MIT Sloan School of Management (branded as MIT Sloan) is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT Sloan offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs ...

at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

* Charalambos Bouras – historian, professor of History of Architecture and restoration architect * Georges Candilis – architect and urbanist, one of the founders of

Team 10 Team 10 – just as often referred to as Team X or Team Ten – was a group of architects and other invited participants who assembled starting in July 1953 at the 9th Congress of the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne, International ...

Giorgio de Chirico Giuseppe Maria Alberto Giorgio de Chirico ( ; ; 10 July 1888 – 20 November 1978) was an Italian artist and writer born in Greece. In the years before World War I, he founded the art movement, which profoundly influenced the surrealists. His ...

– Greek-born Italian artist and writer * Constantine Dafermos – applied mathematician, professor at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

and recipient of Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics * Constantinos Daskalakis – computer scientist, professor at

* Athos Dimoulas – poet * Eleftherios N. Economou – professor of Physics, former chairman of the * Despo C. Fatta-Kassinos – environmental engineer, professor at University of Cyprus * Georgios Gennimatas – former MP, minister and founding member of

Panhellenic Socialist Movement The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (, ), known mostly by its acronym PASOK (; , ), is a social-democratic political party in Greece. Until 2012 it was one of the two major parties in the country, along with New Democracy, its main political r ...

* Georgios B. Giannakis – computer scientist, engineer and inventor, professor of Wireless Telecommunications at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

John Iliopoulos John (Jean) Iliopoulos (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Ηλιόπουλος; 1940) is a Greeks, Greek physicist. He is the first person to present the Standard Model of particle physics in a single report. He is best known for his predictio ...

– the first person to present the

Standard Model The Standard Model of particle physics is the Scientific theory, theory describing three of the four known fundamental forces (electromagnetism, electromagnetic, weak interaction, weak and strong interactions – excluding gravity) in the unive ...

particle physics Particle physics or high-energy physics is the study of Elementary particle, fundamental particles and fundamental interaction, forces that constitute matter and radiation. The field also studies combinations of elementary particles up to the s ...

in a single report, recipient of the

Dirac Medal The Dirac Medal or Dirac prize can refer to different awards named in honour of the physics Nobel Laureate Paul Dirac. * Dirac Medal (ICTP), awarded by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste * Dirac Medal (IOP), awar ...

* Paris Kanellakis – computer scientist, professor at

* Linda P. B. Katehi – Chancellor of

UC Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...

* Alexander S. Kechris – mathematician, professor at

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private university, private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small g ...

* Loukianos Kilaidonis – composer, songwriter and singer * Emmanouil Korres – professor, writer, restoration architect * Georgios Lianis – professor and first Minister of Research and Technology (1982) * Nikos Markatos – former Rector of the NTUA * Dimitra Markovitsi – Photochemist, former president of the European Photochemistry Association * Max Nikias – former president of the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

* Constantine Papadakis – former president of

Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

Christos Papadimitriou Christos Charilaos Papadimitriou (; born August 16, 1949) is a Greek-American theoretical computer scientist and the Donovan Family Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. Education Papadimitriou studied at the National Technical ...

– computer scientist, laureate of the 2002

Knuth Prize The Donald E. Knuth Prize is a prize for outstanding contributions to the foundations of computer science, named after the American computer scientist Donald E. Knuth. History The Knuth Prize has been awarded since 1996 and includes an award of ...

for longstanding and seminal contributions to the foundations of computer science * Panos Papalambros – professor emeritus of mechanical engineering at the

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Michigan is one of th ...

* Yannis Papathanasiou – politician, former Minister for Economy and Finance of Greece * Athanasios Papoulis –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

and applied

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

* Theodosios Pavlidis –

computer scientist A computer scientist is a scientist who specializes in the academic study of computer science. Computer scientists typically work on the theoretical side of computation. Although computer scientists can also focus their work and research on ...

and Distinguished

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

at the State University of New York, Stony Brook * Nicholas A. Peppas – professor in engineering,

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

* Aris Phillips – professor of mechanical engineering at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

* Dimitris Pikionis – architect and painter * George Prokopiou – billionaire shipowner * Athanasios Roussopoulos – professor in applied statics and iron constructions at the National Technical University of Athens, where his work was mostly concerned with the development of the theory of aseismic structures, politician, member of the

Greek Parliament The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme democratic instit ...

and

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

in 1966, he was also president of the Technical Chamber of Greece * Joseph Sifakis – computer scientist, laureate of the 2007

Turing Award The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in the fi ...

for his work on

model checking In computer science, model checking or property checking is a method for checking whether a finite-state model of a system meets a given specification (also known as correctness). This is typically associated with hardware or software syst ...

. * John Travlos – architect, architectural historian, and archaeologist * Michael Triantafyllou – professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at

* Alexandros Tombazis – architect *

Alexis Tsipras Alexis Tsipras (, ; born 28 July 1974) is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece from 2015 to 2019. A left-wing figure, Tsipras was leader of the List of political parties in Greece, Greek political party Syriza from 200 ...

– former

prime minister of Greece The prime minister of the Hellenic Republic (), usually referred to as the prime minister of Greece (), is the head of government of the Greece, Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Cabinet of Greece, Greek Cabinet. The officeholder's of ...

* Ioannis Vardoulakis – professor of civil engineering at

and at NTUA, a pioneer of theoretical and experimental geomechanics *

Iannis Xenakis Giannis Klearchou Xenakis (also spelled for professional purposes as Yannis or Iannis Xenakis; , ; 29 May 1922 – 4 February 2001) was a Romanian-born Greek-French avant-garde composer, music theorist, architect, performance director and enginee ...

– one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers, pioneer of the use of mathematical models in music and architect *

Mihalis Yannakakis Mihalis Yannakakis (; born 13 September 1953 in Athens, Greece)Columbia University: CV ...

– computer scientist, laureate of the 2005

for numerous ground-breaking contributions to theoretical computer science * Thaleia Zariphopoulou – mathematician, professor of Finance at the

* Mihail Zervos – professor of financial mathematics at

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

File:Constantine Papadakis.jpg, President of Drexel University Constantine Papadakis, Civil '69 File:Christos Papadimitriou mg 7721-b.cr2.jpg, ''Computational Complexity'' author

, ECE '72 File:Nicholas A Peppas 1-12-08.jpg, Nicholas A. Peppas, Chemical '71 File:Mihalis Yannakakis 2006.jpg, Knuth Prize 2005 winner

Mihalis Yannakakis Mihalis Yannakakis (; born 13 September 1953 in Athens, Greece)Columbia University: CV ...

, ECE '75

References

Bibliography

External links